One of the household names at the Goodwood Festival of Speed should get even more attention than all the others at this year's edition, with Mercedes-Benz being celebrated by a gigantic sculpture that soars 26 meters (85 feet) over Lord March's Goodwood House.
The statue was created like in almost every other year by known Goodwood Festival of Speed associate and innovative sculptor Gerry Judah, and for many it should represent quite a fitting commemoration of 120 years of motorsport heritage by the Stuttgart manufacturer and its founding fathers – Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler.
The central part of the sculpture is formed by two Mercedes-Benz racing cars that span 80 years from each other – a replica of the original Silver Arrow, a 1934 Mercedes-Benz W25, and a Mercedes-AMG F1 W04 single seater from 2013, the very same car that Lewis Hamilton himself drove in 15 races.
“It is a tremendous opportunity to be asked by Mercedes-Benz to create a sculpture to celebrate their 120 years of motor racing. For this we have pushed the limits of what is possible with size and complexity in engineering, with a 160 tonne steel arch connecting two of their great historic cars over the top of Goodwood House. The sculpture also celebrates the dynamic between Mercedes-Benz and the Festival of Speed, which for me is a pleasure and a privilege to be involved with.” said Gerry Judah about his work.
The connection between the W25 and the W04 goes beyond their make, as they together show the first and so far last Silver Arrows Grand Prix cars sporting an eight-cylinder engine.
During the statue's unveil, a 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK, a 1955 W196 R and a Sauber-Mercedes C9 from 1989 were joined by a Tron-like SLS AMG Black Series, creating a pretty distinctive atmosphere to the occasion.
The central part of the sculpture is formed by two Mercedes-Benz racing cars that span 80 years from each other – a replica of the original Silver Arrow, a 1934 Mercedes-Benz W25, and a Mercedes-AMG F1 W04 single seater from 2013, the very same car that Lewis Hamilton himself drove in 15 races.
“It is a tremendous opportunity to be asked by Mercedes-Benz to create a sculpture to celebrate their 120 years of motor racing. For this we have pushed the limits of what is possible with size and complexity in engineering, with a 160 tonne steel arch connecting two of their great historic cars over the top of Goodwood House. The sculpture also celebrates the dynamic between Mercedes-Benz and the Festival of Speed, which for me is a pleasure and a privilege to be involved with.” said Gerry Judah about his work.
The connection between the W25 and the W04 goes beyond their make, as they together show the first and so far last Silver Arrows Grand Prix cars sporting an eight-cylinder engine.
During the statue's unveil, a 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK, a 1955 W196 R and a Sauber-Mercedes C9 from 1989 were joined by a Tron-like SLS AMG Black Series, creating a pretty distinctive atmosphere to the occasion.